Category: Lipstick

MAC Stroke of Midnight/Nude Lip Bag ($39.50 for 0.198 oz.) features a full-size lipstick and Cremesheen Glass, plus a miniature-sized lip pencil. Each lip bag contains $15.00 worth of Lipstick, $20.00 worth of Cremesheen Glass, and $5 worth of Lip Pencil, bringing the total value of the set to $40–plus there is a zippered bag that comes with the products. Note, Creme d’Nude and Boldly Bare are both part of the permanent range, while the Cremesheen Glass is a new, limited edition shade–but MAC has released many peachy-beige glosses in the past. The lip pencil drastically changes the way the gloss or the lipstick look, as it is significantly darker and browner than either (this is just a note, whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you!). I’m not really enamored over this set (or the value proposition of the lip bags this year), and you can consider buying two of three separately.

Softly Lit is described as a “soft beige with pink frost.” It’s a pale, warm-toned peach with pink and white micro-shimmer. It had semi-sheer color coverage, and it applied evenly for the most part (and quite well for such a milky, pale gloss). It lasted an hour and a half on me, which is pretty short on me. MAC Flair for Finery (LE, $20.00) is slightly pinker, less shimmery. MAC Calypso Beat (LE, $20.00) is darker. Chanel Zephyr (377) (LE, $29.50) is similar. MAC Boundless Beige (P, $19.50) is similar. MAC Fashion Whim (LE, $20.00) is less shimmery. See comparison swatches.

Boldly Bare is described as a “dirty red brown.” It’s a pink-tinged, medium brown with a matte finish. It had opaque color coverage. It lasted six and a half hours on, and it wasn’t really drying, though it felt dry (the way lip pencils often do). MAC Staunchly Stylish (P, $19.50) is browner. MAC Have to Have It (LE) is a touch darker. See comparison swatches.

MAC Stroke of Midnight/Viva Glamorous Lip Bag ($30.00 for 0.27 oz.) includes a lipstick and lipgloss, both the original edition of Viva Glam. Do you know the best part about this bag? Every single cent of the price goes towards the MAC AIDS Fund. Not $1, not proceeds, but the whole thing. If neither of these colors are up your alley, consider one of the other shades in the Viva Glam family if you haven’t. Both of these shades are also available individually. Every single cent of every single Viva Glam product goes towards MAF.

Viva Glam I Lipglass is a muted, medium-dark red with brown undertones and a glossy shine. It had opaque color coverage and did not settle into lip lines. It lasted for four and a half hours. NARS Wonder (LE, $25.00) and NARS Hollywoodlawn (LE, $26.00) are both more orange. See comparison swatches.

MAC Stroke of Midnight/Warm Face Palette ($49.50 for 0.295 oz.) is a warm-toned palette with products for eyes, lips, and face. It contains three eyeshadows (0.028 oz. each), two lipsticks (0.024 oz. each), one iridescent powder (0.176 oz.), and one eye pencil (0.015 oz.). The products represent a a total value of $44.09 –$16.80 worth of eyeshadows, $7.20 worth of lipsticks, $15.09 worth of iridescent powder, and $5 worth of eyeliner. Over time, as more and more brands churn out mega palettes for the holidays all around $50 or so, and I wish MAC would step-up the value (or reduce the cost) of their holiday sets and kits. Golden and Showstopper were the major misses here, as neither performed well; while Myself wears away quickly and Coffee is uncomfortable to use.

Golden is described as a “muted golden tan-beige with shimmer.” It’s a softened, medium orange-brown with golden shimmer. The texture of this was strangely dry and almost crumbly/chunky. It flaked away and didn’t bind together well. The color payoff was so-so but it tended to sheer out/blend away as the product didn’t stick to the skin well. What did apply lasted six and a half hours. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (P) is browner. Wet ‘n’ Wild Bikini Contest (P, $3.99) is similar. NARS Laguna (P, $36.00) is more golden.MAC Soft Sand (LE, $25.00) is darker, browner. See comparison swatches.

Love Talk is described as a “mid-tone cool nude [with a Cremesheen finish].” It’s a plummy brown with neutral-cool undertones and a luminous sheen. It had mostly opaque color coverage and wore for four hours. It was a smidgen drying–but this is typical of Cremesheen finishes for me, though I know others do not have any issues with this finish! Bobbi Brown Soft Nude (P, $24.00) has more plum in it. MAC Viva Glam VI (P, $15.00) is more frosted, less brown. Guerlain Chant d’Aromes (P, $35.00) is more shimmery. Bobbi Brown Uber Suede (P, $24.00) is darker. See comparison swatches.

Coffee is described as an “intense bronze.” It’s a chocolate brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had good pigmentation, but the texture was a bit dry. It was uncomfortable to apply to the lash line, as it tended to skip and tug. The color wore well for almost eight hours with minimal fading. Bobbi Brown Chocolate (LE, $24.00) is similar. Urban Decay Demolition (P, $19.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Rich Experience (P, $20.00) is more neutral-toned. See comparison swatches.

MAC Stroke of Midnight/Violet Lip Bag ($39.50 for 0.198 oz.) features a full-size lipstick and Cremesheen Glass, plus a miniature-sized lip pencil. Each lip bag contains $15.00 worth of Lipstick, $20.00 worth of Cremesheen Glass, and $5 worth of Lip Pencil, bringing the total value of the set to $40–plus there is a zippered bag that comes with the products.

Art of Seduction is described as a “cool nude with gold frost.” It’s a light, beige-brown with light green micro-shimmer. Applied, it seems to lighten lips and added a milkiness to them. It had semi-sheer to semi-opaque color coverage. This shade was completely gone after a mere two hours of wear. If you purchased You’ve Got It from the holiday color collection, run and skip right ahead, because Art of Seduction is the exact same color–in the tube, swatched, and applied. If I really want to play make-believe, the gold shimmer in Art of Seduction caught the light of the camera better and looked more golden than white but I had them side-by-side in various rooms in my house, and they’re the same. MAC Boundless Beige (P, $19.50) is more beige. MAC Glitter & Ice (LE, $20.00) doesn’t have green shimmer. See comparison swatches.

Dark Deed is described as a “darkened blood red [with an Amplified finish].” It’s a deepened, muted red with berry and brown tones. It had semi-opaque color coverage, but there was some settling into lip lines. It wore well for five and a half hours and was neither drying nor hydrating while worn. This is a repromote. Urban Decay Shame (P, $22.00) is browner, darker. Giorgio Armani #408 (P, $32.00) is similar. MAC Endless Drama is darker. MAC What Joy is cooler-toned. See comparison swatches.

Vino is described as an “intense violet purple.” It’s a blackened burgundy with strong, cool red undertones. The consistency was dry and a little stiff; I found that this left crumbles of color all over my lips so that they looked like they were covered in black specks, which I tried to remove the best I could prior to photographing. This is part of the permanent range. It wears eight hours or longer, though it’s terribly uncomfortable and fairly drying. MAC Talk That Talk (LE, $19.50) is a bit darker (seems to be more pigmented/smoother, which gives it a better payoff). Urban Decay Venom (P, $19.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches.

MAC Divine Night Lipstick ($16.50 for 0.10 oz.) includes five new and limited edition shades just in time for the holidays. I’ll have full reviews, complete with wear times and ratings, when I’ve finished testing. In the meanwhile, here are photos and swatches to get you started. The color collection is available online now, and it will release in-stores on October 17th.

Exclusive Event is described as a “taupe brown [with a Satin finish].” It’s a light-medium, cool-toned brown with hints of gray and a subtle sheen. It had opaque color coverage, was lightly creamy, and fairly easy to apply for an even, smooth result. It wore well for four and a half hours, and it was neither drying nor hydrating. MAC Nude (LE, $15.00) is much darker, browner, and rosier. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Sebastian (P, $18.00) is grayer, cooler-toned. MAC Naturally Eccentric (LE, $15.00) is lighter. MAC Growing Trend (LE, $15.00) is a touch lighter. See comparison swatches.

Flair for Finery is described as a “cool pink nude [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a light-medium pink with subtle cool undertones. It seems sheer when swatched, but it is more semi-opaque on lips; it lightens and brightens but has some translucency so the natural lip color will come through. It lasted two and a half hours on me, and it was somewhat drying during that time (typical of my experience with Lustres). MAC Vivid Image (LE, $15.00) is more opaque, lighter. NARS Paimpol (P, $25.00) is iridescent. MAC Beauty (LE, $15.00) is lighter. MAC You’re Perfect Already (LE, $18.00) is similar. MAC Dreaminess (P, $22.00) is warmer. Guerlain Rose Innocent (LE, $49.50) is bluer-based. Chanel Candeur (P, $34.00) is similar. See comparison swatches.

Prepare for Pleasure is described as a “clean magenta red [with a Cremesheen finish].” It’s a pinky-red with cool, blue undertones and a soft sheen. On my lips, it turns redder (still a cool-toned, bluish red, just not so pink) and has mostly opaque color coverage–you can see a faint outline of my lip freckle. It applied evenly and easily. It wore well for five hours and left a slight stain behind, but it was a smidgen drying (this is typical for me with Cremesheen finishes, so if you have the opposite, bump up the rating for yourself). Guerlain Provocative (863) (LE, $49.50) is brighter, pinker. Guerlain Illusion (660) (LE, $35.00) is pinker. MAC Relentlessly Red (P, $15.00) is matte. Urban Decay Catfight (P, $22.00) is pinker. NARS Luxembourg (P, $25.00) is similar. MAC Love Goddess (LE, $15.00) is similar–a touch pinker on me. Guerlain Calligraphy #5 (LE) is more matte. Dior Marilyn (LE, $36.00) is very similar. Buxom Scoundrel (P, $21.00) is redder. See comparison swatches.

You’ve Got It is described as a “pink undertone with gold frost [with a Frost finish].” It’s a pale beige with gold iridescent shimmer. It’s more like a layering shade than something worn on its own, as the consistency is thin, a little dry, and it skipped a bit on the lips. It just felt dry having it on for a couple of minutes, but I think it might work well underneath gloss or the like. It had sheer color coverage. When I wore it, the shade lasted about two hours, and it was drying. MAC Warm Companion (LE, $15.00) is slightly more beige. MAC Secret Lover (LE, $15.00) had a cooler pink tone.MAC Ruffian Gold (LE, $15.00) is more shimmery, less frosted. See comparison swatches.

NYX Blush Round Lipstick ($3.99 for 0.14 oz.) is a medium pink with soft, warm yellow undertones and a light shine. It’s almost so warm-toned that it gets into a pink-coral range, but I think it leans just pink enough to still be a pink hue overall. It had mostly opaque color coverage with a creamy consistency that easily glided onto lips. It had a fair amount of slip, which was great for application, but it did seem like it wore off a bit faster as a result–though it was lightly hydrating while it lasted (three and a half hours). Givenchy Rose d’Exception (206) (LE, $36.00) is more muted, darker. MAC Hoop (DC, $15.00) is brighter. Urban Decay Naked (P, $22.00) is similar. Urban Decay Native (P, $22.00) is lighter. Urban Decay Rush (P, $22.00) is darker. Chanel Liaison (P, $34.00) is similar. MAC Flamingo (LE, $15.00) is warmer, a touch lighter. MAC Betty Bright (LE, $15.00) is brighter. See comparison swatches.

NYX’s Round Lipstick formula is a nice, budget-friendly formula that offers a bajillion colors (real number), so it’s always been a go-to recommendation from me when there’s a color someone wants to try but may not want to splash out a lot for.